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Sylvari
Sylvari are not born. They awaken beneath the Pale Tree with knowledge gleaned in their pre-life Dream. These noble beings travel, seeking adventure and pursuing quests. They struggle to balance curiosity with duty, eagerness with chivalry, and warfare with honor. Magic and mystery entwine to shape the future of this race that has so recently appeared. The sylvari are a young, inquisitive race of botanical humanoids. The first sylvari sprouted from the Pale Tree in Arbor Bay, emerging in 1302 AE. The tree was planted by Ronan and raised by Ventari, who were attempting to escape the violence that engulfed Tyria. Physiology The sylvari are omnivorous humanoid plants. Some sylvari closely resemble humans but with a fey cast to their features such as tilted eyes and pointed ear tips; most display plantlike features such as hard wood for bone structure, have foliage and petals for hair, and bark acting as flesh. They glow during the night. Golden sap moves through their veins instead of blood and pollen falls off of them as they move. They are much more slender than the average human and about a head shorter. While sylvari can seemingly absorb sunlight and become rejuvenated, they still must eat and drink to survive.1 Sylvari do in fact have thermoreceptors as referenced by a sylvari explorer in the Grove. She states that she dislikes Hoelbrak as it is too cold. Sylvari emerge fully formed from golden fruit pods which grow on the branches of the Pale Tree. While many scholars now speculate on the sylvari's humanoid appearance, the original explanation was that the Pale Tree based it on her knowledge of Ronan, creating an abstract image of human biology.1 Malyck, who was born from a different tree, cast doubt upon the accuracy of this explanation, and the matter is considered unresolved. Sylvari gender is selected by the Pale Tree prior to each individual's emergence, and is distinguished by the same general features as human genders2, although they lack reproductive capabilities. It is unknown to outsiders if the sylvari die of old age, as they are known to have died only through violence, poison or disease and do not appear to age. When a sylvari is harmed, tendrils form over the wound and their bark expands to recover the area, leaving no scar. They heal at the same general rate as humans. All sylvari have luminescent cells in their skin, causing them to glow in the dark. Prior to emergence they share a bond through the Pale Tree which they call the Dream of Dreams. In this dream, a growing sylvari is exposed to the consciousness of the Pale Tree and the vast pool of knowledge accumulated by all previous sylvari. When a new one emerges, a portion of this knowledge remains with them, including basic wisdom and understanding from the Pale Tree and a small fraction of what other sylvari have seen and experienced, though this rarely includes specific memories. After emergence, the bond with the Pale Tree is weaker but it links all sylvari and, to an extent, other plants. On rare occasion, twins can emerge from the same pod and they exhibit a greater empathy toward one another. Sylvari cannot be corrupted by most Elder Dragons, but simply die instead. This has been revealed to be the Pale Tree's doing. Ogden Stonehealer hinted that this was caused by their ties to the Dream of Dreams. The only exception to this immunity is the influence of Mordremoth, the Elder Dragon of plants and mind, whose corrupting influence transforms a sylvari into a Mordrem Guard. Culture Sylvari are usually honest, direct and focused, taking most things at face value. With the dream ensuring there is so much in common with the other sylvari, experience is cherished for creating uniqueness between them. They are eager to learn, experience and understand. Sylvari morality and ethics are based on those of the Pale Tree. These were formed by following the lives of Ronan and Ventari, during the early growth of the Pale Tree and later written on Ventari's Tablet situated at the base of the tree. After emergence a sylvari is guided by older sylvari to understand what they have dreamed and ensure they have a clear understanding of the tablet, their history and the world. Despite the kick start of knowledge from the dream they still seem naive as there are some matters which seem beyond their comprehension. Emotions and tact, in particular, are difficult for them to grasp, so often a sylvari will state out loud something which would normally be politely avoided by other races. Death too is not fully understood but viewed as something to be embraced and, as with many things in a sylvari's life, is viewed with a great degree of curiosity. These views serve to form an acceptance of and fascination with death that other races may find disturbing. As they are all born from the Pale Tree they could be considered all of the same family; however, their family bond is not as strong as most families, with many sylvari considering others more like distant relatives with few exceptions, such as twins born from the same pod or those who shared dreams, though the latter may also result in lovers. Romance is practiced among the sylvari, disregarding gender between those involved. To a sylvari, love is spiritual and eternal, regardless of physical form and contact, and sexuality is simply a natural part of life. So long as it is entered into with good will and joy, the gender doesn't make a difference. Sylvari craft their armor and weapons from organic material, such as roots, leaves or leather, and sometimes grow their armor out of their own bodies in the form of leafy padding, spines or bark. Religion The sylvari have an agnostic view of the Human Gods, wishing to see proof of the gods' existence and work.3 They venerate the Ventari Tablet as their most sacred artifact and testament. The Pale Tree is also much revered, though more as a wise parent than as a deity. If the sylvari need counseling, they often travel to the heart of the mighty tree and commune with her there. Government The Pale Tree leads the sylvari; she manifests a spectral being in a chamber at the base of the tree to communicate with others easily and give her guidance and instructions. Various sylvari act as ambassadors to the other races and will send reports to her so that she may judge what to do. On difficult decisions, the Pale Tree will call upon the Firstborn and any sylvari who may be a specialist in the situation(s). The Firstborn, being the oldest and having the most experience of the world, act as leaders to the sylvari, being respected for their wisdom and in turn they lead the sylvari underneath the Pale Tree. Four of them in particular (one of each cycle) have taken on positions of leadership, organization, teaching, and guidance for the sylvari people. Names Sylvari names, as well as place names in their starting zone Caledon Forest, are generally inspired by Celtic (Irish, Scots Gaelic and Welsh) names. Sylvari do not have surnames, as they're all part of the same "family," though to each other they are more like distant relatives except in special cases. History The origin of the sylvari is still unclear. What is known is that the Pale Tree was born of a fist-sized seed from a cave which Ronan, a human soldier, found. This cave was said to have been guarded by monstrous plant-creatures, though any details on them or the location of the tree is unknown, even to modern sylvari who have been looking for this cave since their race's birth from the Pale Tree. On returning to home, Ronan discovered his home destroyed and his family killed by the mursaat. He planted the seed on the graves of his family and swore never to fight again. Ronan formed an unlikely friendship with the centaur Ventari and together they built a refuge near the growing tree for those who sought peace and shelter. As the Pale Tree grew, the war between the centaurs and Krytans became more brutal. Fewer listened to Ventari and the outpost grew smaller. Before he passed away in 1180 AE, Ventari carved his life lessons on a tablet which he placed at the base of the tree in the hope travelers might read it. Over one hundred years later, golden fruit formed for the first time on the Pale Tree. In 1302 AE, these opened to reveal the Firstborn of the sylvari. The tablet at the base of the tree and the Dream of Dreams guide the sylvari, who are imprinted by the morality and ethics of Ventari and the bravery of Ronan. Two years later in 1304 AE the Secondborn began to emerge from the Pale Tree. The first of the Secondborn was Cadeyrn, who became the founder of the Nightmare Court. After the Secondborn, sylvari continued to sprout from the pale tree with an increasing rate. In 1325 AE, a sylvari named Malyck was discovered who did not emerge from the Pale Tree or share in the Dream. His pod was discovered on the western edge of a river that runs through Brisban Wildlands, suggesting his tree lies somewhere in Magus Falls. Called "The Harbinger" by the Nightmare Court, he traveled towards Magus Falls, promising to return with allies. However, his fate is unknown, and no other Pale Trees have yet been found. Gallery